What Was Harper Lee's Purpose for Writing the Book: Essay

Harper Lee was an American novelist best known for her 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Before she became a famous writer, Lee studied at Oxford and was planning to become a lawyer just like her father, but eventually dropped out of law school. Harper Lee only published two books during her lifetime: To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman. Her second book was not on the same level of popularity as her first. To Kill a Mockingbird won a Pulitzer Prize and has been translated into more than 40 languages. It is widely read by students in middle and high schools across the country. I will be reviewing this book due to its high popularity and the important messages spread out throughout the story. These four important messages are, put yourself in other people’s shoes, don’t kill mockingbirds, keep fighting even if you know you will lose, and that the world is unfair. Harper Lee’s purpose for writing this story was not only to share these important lessons, but also to convey what life was like during the Great Depression, and most importantly life in the South where racism was common.

To Kill a Mockingbird takes place over a three-year time period in the fictitious town of Maycomb, Alabama. Due to the story taking place over a few years, readers can see many character developments and changes, most of which occur with the main character Scout Finch. Scout lives with her brother Jem and their father Atticus. During the summer, Scout, Jem, and one of their neighbors Dill go to explore the house of a mysterious man named Arthur Radley, who was nicknamed Boo. Boo has never been seen outside, which has caused many rumors to stir up over the years about him. Many people have a horrible image of him even though he has yet to be seen. The real story of Boo is that he misbehaved when he was younger and got in trouble with law enforcement. This resulted in his father never letting him leave the house again. Even after his father passed away, Boo remained in the house with his older brother. The first major lesson from the book takes place here, in that you shouldn’t judge someone unless you put yourself in their shoes. People shouldn’t judge Boo Radley or anyone for that matter without knowing their backstory. One cold night when Scout and Jem were outside watching a neighbor’s house set on fire, Boo came behind Scout and put a blanket on her. This overall message is essential in life as people nowadays can be so cruel to one another and start rumors without knowing anything about someone else’s life. You don’t really know someone until you step into their shoes.

Halfway through the story, a crucial scene occurs which has a connection with the title of the book. Atticus decided to give Scout and Jem air rifles and shoot any bird they wanted except Mockingbirds. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” This statement by Atticus has a double meaning. The metaphorical meaning of a mockingbird is someone that is weak or defenseless. To kill a mockingbird would be the equivalent of taking advantage or killing a defenseless person. Atticus considers this a sin. This is yet another important lesson in this story. Not only is this scene foreshadowing an event that will happen later, it really demonstrates the racist tendencies during this time. People back then would “kill mockingbirds” or take advantage of African Americans. They were treated as inferior to Whites and commonly segregated in public places.

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Later in the story, Scout and Jem find out that their father Atticus who is a lawyer will be defending a black man named Tom Robinson. Tom is accused of raping and beating a white woman named Mayella Ewell. Atticus is determined to try his hardest to defend Tom, even though he knows he will lose the case due to racism. The two kids now have to endure the daily insults and slurs being thrown at them due to Atticus’s role in the trial. Atticus encourages his kids to keep their heads up in the face of adversity. This is where the third important lesson comes into play when Atticus tells his kids that true bravery comes from fighting even if you know you are going to lose. This scene is a fan favorite as it shows his high morals and lessons that we can all learn. It solidifies his place as a fan-favorite protagonist in literature.

During the trial, Atticus proves that there is no possible way that Tom raped Mayella Ewell. The physical evidence was against them. Mayella Ewell’s bruises are on the right side of her face, and Tom can’t use his left arm. Bob Ewell is left-handed and it is possible that he beat his daughter, which matches Tom’s story that Mayella tried to seduce him but was caught by her father and beaten up. However, even with all the evidence supporting Tom, the jury found him guilty and he was taken to prison. There was no possible way that a jury would acquit a black man, especially for an accused rape. After the trial, it is found that Tom Robinson was killed in an escape attempt. Scout and Jem are devastated by the verdict. At this moment they realize just how racist their town is, but this is where the fourth and final lesson appears. The world is unfair; life’s outcomes will not always go your way, and innocent people might get hurt or falsely accused.

Once the trial was finished, Bob Ewell approached Atticus and threatened to get revenge on him for being made a fool during the trial. On Halloween night Bob Ewell approaches Scout and Jem with a switchblade and attempts to kill them. The two kids tried their best to fight back but to no avail. Bob Ewell broke Jem’s arm during the whole ordeal. As the kids cried for help, Boo Radley popped out of nowhere and stabbed Bob with a kitchen knife. The kids are unaware of what is happening due to the pitch-black darkness. Once the sheriff arrives at Atticus’s house, he makes the decision for the official story to be that Bob Ewell tripped over a root and fell on his knife. The sheriff has a suspicion that Boo Radley really killed Bob, but he does not want that story to be spread because he doesn't want Boo to be forced into the public spotlight for saving the kids. The least he could do is help to maintain Boo’s privacy. Atticus is worried about the decision to change the story about what really happened because his kids have already seen injustice in the trial, so he does not want them to witness the law being bent once more. Scout understands the situation but tells Atticus that making a hero out of Boo Radley would be like killing a mockingbird. Scout then proceeds to walk Boo across the street back to his house. Once Scout reaches the porch, she looks back at her house and imagines all of her adventures and activities over the years as seen through Boo’s eyes, and this is where she finally understands the lesson that to understand someone you need to be put in their shoes.

All of these important lessons somehow come full circle by the end of the story. They are all woven together and not only apply to the plot in this story, but they are great lessons that apply in the real world. Overall this is an essential book all students should read at least twice. During my first time reading, I did not fully understand the important messages spread out. After reading it a second-time years later, I can now fully understand them and appreciate the amazing story.